Selling your seat at The Amex

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Firstly, you don't have to buy the PSL.

Secondly, the analogy you use is a bit off. This is the difference between having a leasehold property (having a PSL) and renting a property (season ticket). In the former case you in effect own the property for the length of the lease - 99 years with some leases, 50 in the case of the PSL). In the latter case you simply have the right to live in the property (or use the seat) and nothing else.

So it's up to you how you want to play it - "buy" the seat and then do what you like with it - it's your seat. Or rent it (no PSL) but accept that you can't sub-let or do much other than use the seat. Seems pretty clear to me.

The issue for me is that the club seem to be offering the ticket transfer facility pretty grudgingly - and that does seem to go against the spirit of paying extra for the PSL. Reading the leaflet, they are emphasising the benevolent benefits of paying for a PSL. The benefit of trading a seat on a match by match basis is tucked away in the small print - and not referred to at all in the main part of the leaflet.

 

[Beach Hut]

I'm not planning on selling either of my seats - I'll be going to all the matches. The other ticket is for my son - but he's off to Uni (maybe!) so I'll be taking father in law, or wife (no, scrub that), daughter, mates. But I was interested to get clarification about how the PSL works for one off match tickets.

But your point is right. If you have two tickets both next to each other and you have sold one of them, you could meet the buyer and enter the ground together and in effect never part with your card - and thereby skip the admin fee. Not so easy if you have just one seat.

We will hopefully have 6 seats in a row and plan to do this if one or other cannot attend

 

[Simster]

For those of us who haven't seen the leaflet, what are the benevolent benefits of paying for a PSL (aside from the ability to trade, which sounds like it's going to be made difficult/expensive anyway)?

I'm with Was Not Was, this seems like a bit of a liberty to me.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

PSL - the club friendly alternative to buying a timeshare.

 

[Was not Was]

So it's up to you how you want to play it - "buy" the seat and then do what you like with it - it's your seat. Or rent it (no PSL) but accept that you can't sub-let or do much other than use the seat. Seems pretty clear to me.

I agree that it's clear. My argument is that it's wrong! It's asking me to pay a (large, one-off) premium to be able to lend my season ticket to a member of my family, when this is actually very easy to enable.

That's why I say it's profiteering - the Club has seen a way of introducing a price differential for a facility we've previously expected 'for free'.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I'm struggling to see what I'd get for my £495 if I took out the PSL thing, I really am.

I have an uncomfortable feeling that the advent of Falmer is the start of us being sucked into the corporate machine, the point where we cease to become supporters but are instead viewed as little more than an unwavering income stream, to be tapped as much as possible. Give us more money and we welcome you...be an "ordinary" ticket holder and you will be treated very differently.

Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Re the original post, I think that's a shame. I often give away individual match tickets from my ST to friends if I can't make the game for any reason. I know many others do likewise. Sounds like we won't be able to do that at the new stadium. Can't imagine many people being happy to let their ST card out of their sight.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

They really are taking a liberty here.

Seriously, are you willing to pay £500 for the right to pass on something you've bought? More to the point, are you happy with the club whose existence we've fought for to take such an exploitative approach? I'm trying to imagine how it would affect Sainsbury's business if they demanded a £500 fee to give you the right to give any food you buy in the next 50 years to someone else, and I'm failing.

There are several reasons why this is taking the piss:

1. There's no practical reason why they can't provide to everyone the service they're offering to licence holders.
2. As we'll be using swipe cards, there's no technological barrier to enabling people to transfer their 'voucher' for a match to a friend/family member who is also a member. It'd be reasonable to charge a small fee for this, AND it would be completely auditalble, so they club would know who is occupying the seat.
3. They could set up a ticket exchange. The club have made a big hoohaa about taking the same approach as Arsenal took at the Emirates. Well, Arsenal have a ticket exchange online - if a STH can't go, s/he can sell the ticket online to someone they don't know for a small fee.

And I know that some NSCers will respond by saying it's easy to work around - just lend yr card to someone you know and trust. Fair point, except:

1. Why should we be having to work around the club's business practices?
2. As I've pointed out many time, lots of Albion fans don't live in Brighton/Sussex with other fans nearby. In my case, I live in London and want to occasionally pass my 'ticket' to a relative in East Sussex. That's not unreasonable, is it? But the only way of doing it will be for us to use and trust the postal service with our swipe card.

I wish I could believe that the club just hasn't thought this through, but they've had years to get this right. It looks like they're trying to rip us off.

Go on, persuade me I'm wrong.

All extremely fair points and I agree with all of them.

The only benefit I see to the PSL is that in the event of your ticket going walkabout (lost in post if sending to someone, someone does a runner with it etc) you have the guarantee of a replacement. Bit like insurance really.

If you were going to post it tho I would certainly pay the extra few quid and send gteed delivery as I believe you are insured up to £500 for the contents.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Re the original post, I think that's a shame. I often give away individual match tickets from my ST to friends if I can't make the game for any reason. I know many others do likewise. Sounds like we won't be able to do that at the new stadium. Can't imagine many people being happy to let their ST card out of their sight.

If you trust them and can meet them to pick it up then its shouldnt be a problem.

Like I say, if IF for whatever reason I gave my swipe card to someone, it would be someone I know or trust and more importantly know where they live so I can get it afterwards before the next game!

 

[dannyboy]

if the club said they want everyone who plans to go to falmer or who has been just once to have a smart card then surely it must be easy for one person to transfer one ticket from one smart card to another . the 2 people can then transfer the cash or not depending on what they want to do . sounds very simple if you ask me

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

if the club said they want everyone who plans to go to falmer or who has been just once to have a smart card then surely it must be easy for one person to transfer one ticket from one smart card to another . the 2 people can then transfer the cash or not depending on what they want to do . sounds very simple if you ask me

Oh and this.

 

[Oscar]

Jeez, this all sounds very complicated.

I can't go to every game and can't afford to splash £400 on a PSL - whatever that is. But if I can't pass my season ticket to friends or family when I can't go I can't see me getting a season ticket.

And what happens if you have a season ticket and a mate comes along for a one off game? How do you sort seats together?

 

[The Large One]

Re the original post, I think that's a shame. I often give away individual match tickets from my ST to friends if I can't make the game for any reason. I know many others do likewise. Sounds like we won't be able to do that at the new stadium. Can't imagine many people being happy to let their ST card out of their sight.

The club is saying that technically, you can't transfer your ticket, while practically they know there's not much they can do about it. As long as it's like for like (adult for adult, child for child etc), they seem fine with that.

From there, it's down to you as to whom you trust your swipe card with.

The PSL is intended for something different entirely.

 

[house your seagull]

I have an uncomfortable feeling that the advent of Falmer is the start of us being sucked into the corporate machine, the point where we cease to become supporters but are instead viewed as little more than an unwavering income stream, to be tapped as much as possible. Give us more money and we welcome you...be an "ordinary" ticket holder and you will be treated very differently.

as opposed to what? we're no different from any football club, man utd, arsenal whatever ... i see a change in administration, not with the fan-as-consumer dynamic. to BHAFC i am simply 70024468.

i agree with you though, what is the point of the PSL. i can think of much more interesting things to spend £500 on!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Jeez, this all sounds very complicated.

I can't go to every game and can't afford to splash £400 on a PSL - whatever that is. But if I can't pass my season ticket to friends or family when I can't go I can't see me getting a season ticket.

And what happens if you have a season ticket and a mate comes along for a one off game? How do you sort seats together?

You CAN pass your ST to a friend. But because its a swipe card as opposed to indiv tickets it would be prudent to make sure you hand it to them personally and then get it back personally.

Sorting seats together would mean ringing the club to see where the nearest seat to you is that is "free" for your mate to sit in or alternatively buy a spare for friends. Just like you have to at Withdean!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The cost far out weighs the benefit of the PSL. All it seems to do is legally enshrine your right to re-purchase the seat season after season and for the club to help you pass any spare tickets on. Is this worth £500? Maybe the idea that you 'own' a piece of Falmer will appeal?

I do find it odd the club are selling these licenses, but part of the future cost (ie the ticket exchange bit) has not been decided. You do not actually fully know what you're buying.

Either way I just see it as a "take it or leave it" which has little impact either way. You will not be overly disadvantaged without it. I'll file under "not an issue"

 

[Simster]

The club is saying that technically, you can't transfer your ticket, while practically they know there's not much they can do about it. As long as it's like for like (adult for adult, child for child etc), they seem fine with that.

From there, it's down to you as to whom you trust your swipe card with.

The PSL is intended for something different entirely.

That's how I'm reading it too. The trouble is, nobody seems to know what the PSL is intended for!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

That's how I'm reading it too. The trouble is, nobody seems to know what the PSL is intended for!

Probably a way of making a few extra quid at the end of the day.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I'm struggling to see what I'd get for my £495 if I took out the PSL thing, I really am.

I have an uncomfortable feeling that the advent of Falmer is the start of us being sucked into the corporate machine, the point where we cease to become supporters but are instead viewed as little more than an unwavering income stream, to be tapped as much as possible. Give us more money and we welcome you...be an "ordinary" ticket holder and you will be treated very differently.

Hope I'm wrong.

The big selling point for the PSL is that if there is more demand for season tickets than supply, you can trade your season ticket (via an Albion website). So if we get to the PRem and seats in the West Stand are changing hands for £3000 a pop, you could cash in if you want to. With a PSL it is your seat to sell (like a leasehold). If you just have the season ticket, you just have the right to sit in that seat for the season - no right to resell the seat.

Thing is - who would want to sell their season ticket?

More likely might be the death (or illness) of a season ticket holder. If you have a PSL you can pass the seat on (bequeath it) to someone else and they will become the "owner" of the seat. If you just have a season ticket you can't do this. You'd have to hand the ticket back to the club and they would sell it at face value to the next person on the season ticket waiting list. Of course, if a season ticket passed away, and the family wanted to keep the ticket, they probably would just leave it in the existing name and keep going wouldn't they?

The benevolent benefits are couched in terms like "your chance to have a stake in the club", "a PSL is an investment in the club and the stadium".

 

[Titanic]

Is everyone being deliberately thick here?

edit: spot on TRHK.